I love a good cozy game, especially those without combat and a focus on simply belonging in a world, making new friends, and solving puzzles. The games I look forward to most are the ones that inspire me to be inquisitive and creative, and Hidden Through Time 2 is exactly that. I found myself wanting to play this wholesome hidden object outing more and more, getting lost for hours in its different levels and worlds.

Hidden Through Time 2 is a comfy adventure through four distinctly different time periods: a fantasy medieval scenario, Greek mythology, Arabian Nights, and the 80s with a cool twist. The hand-drawn art style is incredibly detailed too, down to every last frog and flower you’ll find.

There are plenty of eras to choose from, whether you are a fantasy fan like myself or want to explore more modern settings. Each has its own specific elements that set it apart, but the core mechanic remains the same: find the objects hidden throughout the map. My favorites were the fantasy levels–where there are plenty of references to popular genre elements and characters. For example, there are look-alikes of Ciri and Geralt from The Witcher if you search hard enough, as well as some shoutouts to Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings.

The 80s setting was more engaging than I anticipated, as I tend to stay away from reflections of modernity in video games. I was pleasantly surprised though, and slightly amused, to see Marty McFly partying with werewolves in letterman jackets and goblins with makeup all while following the story of a witch in magical high school trying to get a date to the dance.

All of its characters are cute and charming, and it’s fun to watch them dance around and go about their days. The goblins and dragonlings in the fantasy era were avid dancers, which made me laugh while searching for small objects around their camps. Animations add so much personality to the world too, which makes searching for the hidden objects within it even more entertaining. It also encourages you to poke people to see if anything is hiding around them, provoking a series of worthwhile grumbles and similar funny reactions. The style truly sets the mood for a low-stakes, comfortable, and cute adventure.

Each time period has different levels, and as you progress through the game, later levels have more and more items to find in bigger maps. The detail only scales upward, adding more items to interact with and hiding the objects you’re looking for in smarter ways. While at times it can feel frustrating, each item possesses a hint that will point you in the right direction. These are vaguely worded clues that either tell you who last had the item or what part of the environment to comb through. Similar to something like the puzzles in Professor Layton or Phoenix Wright.

I often forgot to check what items I was supposed to be looking for and instead spent a good amount of time poking the people who were standing around and petting the animals, specifically the goose purely so I could make him honk the house down. The level of interaction and purpose for each item and character is so engaging, which is only enhanced by the all new Reality Shift mechanic, introduced in the sequel.

The ability to change the time and weather during levels is a marvelous addition, making you not only have to pay attention to your surroundings, but appreciate the detail that went into each stage. The transition from day to night, or from a sunny day to a blizzard, reveals new objects previously invisible. It also allows you to see changes and follow the progression of each time period’s narrative, for both the main and background characters. When playing the fantasy levels, it makes all the difference between adventuring during the day and making camp at night–not all items can be found when traveling, and certain monsters only come out at night.

In the end, I was thoroughly satisfied with Hidden Through Time 2. Not only did I get to unwind and explore new environments, but I was able to create my own custom maps. There are a lot of details to fiddle with, and plenty of levels to work through. The plot for each time period is straightforward, but adds another layer of creativity and excitement to each level. If you’re looking for a game that will test your critical thinking skills and challenge you to look at the bigger picture, this is it.